My chicken chimichangas feature a crazy flavorful shredded chicken filling, refried beans, and cheese all wrapped up in a crispy pan-fried tortilla! These bad boys usually take me less than 30 minutes to whip up with a handful of simple ingredients. I love to serve them on Cinco or game day and they always seem to disappear!
Shredded Chicken Chimichangas in 30 minutes!
I’m convinced that my kids beg me for these chimichangas mostly because of how fun it is to say. But I don’t mind because they’re so dang good! These chimichangas with shredded chicken are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I season the chicken with veggies, spices, tomato sauce, salsa, and sour cream. Spread with refried beans and topped with melty Mexican cheese, these fried chimichangas are hot and delicious!
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One Simple Tip!
After removing the fried chimichangas from the oil, be sure to drain them on paper towels to remove any excess oil. This will help prevent them from turning greasy or soggy as they sit.
Chicken Chimichangas Recipe
Ingredients
- vegetable oil (for frying)
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup salsa
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream (plus more for topping)
- 3½ cups shredded cooked chicken (*)
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas (**)
- 1¾ cups refried beans
- 1½ cups shredded Mexican cheese
Instructions
Make the Filling:
- Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until golden and tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then add in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, salsa, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.vegetable oil, ½ cup diced yellow onion, ½ cup diced red bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup tomato sauce, ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, ¼ cup salsa, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, ground black pepper
- Bring mixture to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes; stirring frequently until sauce has thickened and reduced by half. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Stir in the sour cream.2 tablespoons sour cream
- Then stir in the cooked chicken, and corn. Mix well and remove from heat, then allow to cool slightly.3½ cups shredded cooked chicken, ½ cup frozen corn
Assemble:
- Spread a heaping ¼ cup of refried beans onto the center of each tortilla.6 burrito-sized flour tortillas, 1¾ cups refried beans
- Then top with ½ cup of the chicken mixture. Flatten the filling into a rectangle shape with the back of a spoon.
- Next, top with 3 tablespoons of shredded cheese.1½ cups shredded Mexican cheese
- Fold the bottom of the tortilla snugly over the filling, then fold in the sides. Roll the chimichanga up to the top edge, forming a tight cylinder, and secure the ends with wooden toothpicks. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Fry:
- Fill a pot or heavy skillet with about 1 inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 365℉. Place 2 chimichangas flap side down in the hot oil and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Remove and drain on paper towels, and remove toothpicks. Repeat frying with remaining chimichangas.
Serve:
- Serve warm topped with sour cream, avocado, salsa, cilantro, cotija cheese and/or queso sauce.
Notes
- Stir your sauce until it thickens. You’ll need to stir it while it’s simmering for at least five minutes.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Chicken Chimichangas Step by Step
Cook the Filling: Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of diced yellow onion and ½ cup of diced red pepper and sauté until tender. Add 2 minced cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in ½ cup of tomato sauce, ½ cup of chicken broth, ¼ cup of salsa, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground paprika, ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 3½ cups of shredded cooked chicken, and ½ cup of corn. Mix well and remove from the heat.
Spread the Beans: Spread ¼ cup of refried beans onto the center of each of 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas.
Add the Chicken Filling: Top each tortilla with ½ cup of the chicken mixture. Flatten the filling into a rectangle shape with the back of a spoon.
Top with Cheese: Top with 3 tablespoons of shredded Mexican cheese.
Roll and Fry: Fold the bottom of the tortilla snugly over the filling, then fold in the sides. Roll the chimichanga up to the top edge, forming a tight cylinder, and secure the ends with wooden toothpicks. Fill a pot or heavy skillet with about 1 inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 365℉. Place two chimichangas flap-side-down in the hot oil and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store chicken chimichangas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the air fryer or oven to maintain the crispy texture.
More Mexican Chicken Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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